Workspace Support

Good News for Working Moms

Amendments to section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”).

“An employer shall provide—- a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk; and- a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.”

Workplace Support

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends support for breastfeeding for the first year of an infant's life. Although 75% of new mothers in the US initiate breastfeeding, less than a third of those mothers continue breastfeeding for one year (USBC, 2010).

Many mothers would choose to breastfeed longer if they had a supportive environment, including proper accommodations for expressing breast milk in the workplace.

Some employers support breastfeeding by allowing new mothers to work from home, providing private accommodations for expressing breast milk in the office, and providing on-site childcare and breastfeeding breaks for mothers.The advantages of supporting breastfeeding in the workplace are numerous, not only for the families involved, but also for companies, global healthcare, and economy. For more information, see the helpful links listed below.